Flight-control means for bombs.



a. T. PHILLIPS. 1R,

FLIGHT-CONTROL MEANSFOR BOMBS.

APPLICATION man FEB.2I. 191a.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27- 191B.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

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v G. T. PHILLIPS, 1R.

FLIGHT CONTROL MEANS FOR BOMBS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27. 1918.

.1 ,324,433, Patented Dec. 9,1919.

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ps PATENTQFFICE GEORGE T. PHILLIPS, JR., 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

FLIGHT-CGNTROL MEANS FOB-'IBOMBS. 7

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

Application filed. February 27, 1918. Serial No. 219,396.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it nown that I, GEORGE T. PHILLIPS, Jig, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FlightControl Means for Bombs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in flight-control means for bombs, and has particular reference to an attachment-for bombs of that class, which are designed to be dropped or discharged from an airplane,

during flight of the latter.

'One object of the invention isto ,provide an improved device for attachment of bombs, by means of which the bomb-may be guided or directed in its downward flight, so as to strike, substantially, at a point directly beneath that at which it was :released, instead of in advance of such point,

of the necessity of calculating, or guessing, as to when to release or discharge .the bomb in order to strike anobject beneath and in ad vance of him.

Anotherobject of the invention is toprovide an improved construction of flight-control means forbombs, whereby any pressures in a lateral direction, with respect to the perpendicular, that may be directed against the bomb, either by the tendency of the bomb itself to move laterally at the moment of release or by lateral wind currents, will be utilized to direct and keep the bomb in a perpendicular flight.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of flightcontrol means for bombs, including a plurality of independently-movable rudder blades, whereby the forward plunge of the bomb, with respect to the point from which it is released, will be automatically checked, and the bomb be made to travel through a return curve during its downward flight and strike at a point substantially directly beneath that from which it was released, and

A still further object is, to provide an improved combination and arrangement of rudders that are movable with respect to the bomb, and air-current directing-blades that are rigid with respect to thebomb, whereby to impede the forward movement of thebomb when the same is released, and then, when "the flight has been changed to a perpendicular, to utilize the directing blades to direct the current of air, caused by the downward flight, against the sides of movrelative arrangement and location ofthe independentlv-movable rudders. V F ig. 4:, illustrates a cross-sectional detail through the rigid blades, which .are arranged-about the circumferenceof the bomb,

and the means for securing'them. in position.

Fig. .5, shows on an enlarged scale, the improved movable rudders and the construction of their mountings, and their arrangement at the ends of the "bomb and rigid blades, and

Fig. 6, illustrates, in perspective,'one of themovable rudders detached.

Referringto the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts in the several views. the numeral 7 designates the bomb-body, which may be of any desired construction, preferably with an internal arrangement of devices and an external downwardly-projecting impact rod'8, whereto effect an object. body is slightly tapered longitudinally and its forward end 9, is slightly larger than its rear end. but this is not essential to the present invention.

In the present instance I provide the bomb-body 7, with a plurality of blades 10, which are arranged circumferentially around and project laterally or radially from the body.

an explosion upon impact with In the form shown, the bomb- The manner and means employed to seare clamped close against the body-wall and held in place, as clearly shown in Figs. 24 and 5, of the drawings.

From the foregoing explanation, it will be understood that the blades 10, are rigid with the bomb-body; that they radiate therefrom, and that they extend longitudinally of said bod B 17 means of this arrangement of blades, it will be noted that vertical circumferential passages 14., are produced around the circumference of the bomb-body, up through which a current of air will pass as the'bomb drops.

These rigid blades 10, also act as sustaining planes against lateral pressures caused by lateral motion of the bomb, which are greatest at the moment the bomb is released, and thereby tend to retard lateral movement of the bomb immediately after the same has been released.

A sustaining tube 15, projects rearwardly or upwardly from the rear end of the bombbody, and this tube sustains a head 16, from which a plurality of spindles 17 radiate. The number of these spindles employed is immaterial, and may be more or less than that shown, but in the present instance, I provide four spindles.

Each spindle 17, pivotally sustains a movable rudder of a novel construction, which will now be explained, reference being directed particularly to Figs. 3-5 and 6 of the drawings.

Each rudder has a tubular sleeve 18, with a bearing collar 19, at each end thereof so as to fit the spindle and be pivotally sustained thereon. From the sleeve downwardly, the rudder has a tapered blade 20,- the point-end 21, of which is at the lower free end of the blade and terminates a short distance above the upper end of one of the rigid blades 10, on the bomb-body. Each tapered blade also has a broad flat surface 22, at its opposite sides which extend radially from the tube 15.

From the spindle upwardly, each rudder has a thin straight blade 23, with flat surfaces 24, that are directly over, and except for the taper of the lower blade, are parallel with the flat surfaces 22, of the latter. Each straight blade 23, also carries fins 25, projecting at right angles from its flat surfaces 2 1, and which also extend at a right angle to the tubular sleeve 18, so that the upper portion of each rudder has blade portions that extend in a direction parallel with the rudder axis, and other blade portions that exltand at right angles to said axis.

Y noted that the area of the rudder-blade portion 23, above the sleeve or axis 18, is greater than the area of the tapered blade 20, that extends below the said sleeve or axis, also that the lower tapered blade 20, is thicker reference to the drawings, it will be and heavier than the upper blade. This arrangement of greater weight below the pivot and the greater area above the pivot, enables the greater area or upper portion to be acted upon to swing the heavier lower portion during the casting-0d, or discharge of the bomb, so as to turn the rudder during the lateral motion of the bomb immediately after it is discharged, and to gradually right itself as the bomb makes a lQlZlllIl-CUIXB flight downward.

Lateral pressure is greatest immediately after the bomb is discharged, therefore, the upper portion 23, of the rudders, at diametrically opposite sides of the bomb, will tilt rearwardly while the lower ends or blades 20, will swing forwardly. This action of the rudders also tends to slightly incline the bomb-body so that the fiat surfaces of the rigid blades will act as sustaining planes and impede the forward movement. As the bomb descends, and increases its downward velocity, the air-current passing from the upper end of the rigid blades 10, is directed beneath the lower blades 20, so that the rudders will be held in a tilted position, to direct the bomb in a rearwardly-curved path of flight, and cause it to return to a point substantially beneath that. from which it was released. As the velocity of the bomb increases, it gradually rights itself, and the upward air-currents are then directed straight up from the rigid blades 10, which holds the rudders in a straight up-and-down position, so that throughout the balance of the flight, the bomb will travel in a vertical path to the point beneath that from which it was released.

The manner of hanging the bombs from the airplane is not material, but I show a ring 26, by which the same may be suspended.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 3, that the fins 2 5, on the blades 23, are so positioned as to form stops, against which the blade pivoted to swing at right angles thereto might strike, and that the swinging movement of any rudder will be limited so that none of the rudders can make a complete revolution.

Having described my invention, what I claim is,--

1. The combination with a bomb, of a plurality of flight directing devices carried thereby said devices being independently movable with respect to each other and with respect to the horn 2. The combination with a bomb, of a plurality of pivoted flight directing devices attached to said bomb,said devices being independently movable with respect to each other and also with respect to the bomb.

3. The combination with a bomb, ofa plurality of flight directing devices carried by the bomb and a separate pivoting means for each of said devices whereby said devices are movable independently of each other and also independently of the bomb.

4. The combination with a bomb, of rudder blades carried by said bomb, and means for pivotally mounting said rudder blades between their opposite edges to permit one edge thereof to swing to one side of the pivot I and the other edge to swing to the opposite plurallty of blades also carried by the bomb and rigid with the latter. 7

8. The combination with a bomb, of a plurality of pivoted flight-directing devices carried by the bomb and a plurality of radial blades at the side of the bomb and rigid with the latter.

9. The combination with a bomb, of a plurality of flight directing devices 'means for sustaining said devices to permit them to swing independently of each other and a plurality of blades rigid with the bomb and in front of said pivoted flight-directing devices.

10. The combination with a bomb, of a plurality of rudders pivotally mounted between their opposite-ends to leave both ends thereof free to swing, and blades extending radially about the bomb.

11. The combination with a bomb, of a plurality of radially arranged rudders each movable independently of the others and a plurality of blades arranged radially about the bomb and rigid with respect to the latter.

12. The combination with a bomb, of a plurality of rigid blades extending radially from the side of the bomb; pivot-means at the rear of the rigid blades and extending at right angles to the axis of the bomb and a rudder pivotally mounted on said pivot means.

13. The combination with a bomb, of a rudder device pivotally carried at the rear end of the bomb said rudder device from the pivot-point to one end being of less area than from said pivot-point to the opposite en 14:. The combination with a bomb, of a rudder device pivotally carried at the rear end of the bomb said rudder from one end to the pivot being of less area but greater weight than from the other end to said pivot.

15. The combination with a bomb, of a rudder device pivotally carried at the rear end of the bomb said rudder device having a tapered portion at one side of the pivot and at the opposite side of said pivot the rudder having blades extending at right angles with respect to each other.

16. The combination with a bomb, of a plurality of independent rudders at the rear end of the bomb and each rudder having a tapered portion at one end a straight portion at the opposite end and each straight portion end having a fin projecting at an angle therefrom.

17. The combination with a bomb, of a plurality of independent rudders at the rear end of the bomb; means extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the bomb for pivotally sustaining the rudders to permit them to swing independently of each other, each rudder having a tapered portion at the front side of the pivot and a flat portion at the opposite side of the pivot and each fiat side of the rudder having a fin at each side thereof.

18. The combination with a bomb, of a plurality of radially extending rudders, means for pivotally mounting the rudders so they may swing independently ofeach other and a rigid blade carried by the bomb for each pivoted rudder.

19. The combination with a bomb, of a plurality of blades projecting laterally from the bomb and rigid with the latter; supporting means extending rearwardly from the bomb and rigid blades; spindles projecting radially'from the supporting means and a rudder pivotally mounted on each spindle.

20. The combination with a bomb, of a plurality of independently-pivoted rudders at one end of the bomb and each rudder having a fin extending at right angles to its pivot; the fin of one rudder forming a stop to limit the swinging movement of another rudder.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE T. PHILLIPS, JR. 

